Shears for metal



3 sheets-sheet 1. C. PETTIGREW, VH. S. SMITH 8v F'. H. TREAT.

(No Model.)

SHEARS FOR METALS.

Patented June `30, 1891.

" (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

C.,PETTIGREW, H. S.v SMITH & I'. H. TREAT. SHBARS PoR METALS.

No. 455,053. l l Patented June 30,1891. Y

(N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. C. PBTTIGREW, H. S. SMITH 8u I'. H. TREAT.

SHBARS POR METALS.

Patented June 30, 1891.

lll

UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES PETTIGREV, OF J OLIET, AND HORACE S. SMITH AND FRANCIS H. TREAT, OF CHICAGO, ASSIGNORS TO THE ILLINOIS STEEL COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SH EARS FOR METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,053, dated June 30, 1891.

Application filed July 18, 1890. Serial No. 359,140. (No model.)

ToaZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that we, CHARLES PETTIGREW, of Joliet, IVill county, Illinois, and HORACE S. SMITH and FRANCIS H. TREAT, both of Chil cago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shears for Metal, ot which the following is a full, true, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This improvement consists in a pair of double`acting shears for shearing hot metal alternately. The power to operate the shears is hydraulic, the water being forced to operate by steam-pressure.

Our invention will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings, in which# Figure l represen ts a plan of ourapparatus; Fig. 2, a vertical section through Fig. l; Fig. 3, a View of the back of the shears; Fig. 4, a lateral elevation of the same; Fig. 5, an external view of the hydraulic cylinders;'Fig. 6, a section through the same, showing the steam-piston; Fig. 7, a detail of the checkvalve mechanism of the hydraulic cylinders;

Fig. S, a section through the hydraulic check-y valve, and Fig. 9 a detailed section of the hydraulic cylinder beneath the shear-knife.

Our apparatus consists, generally, of a power transfer-table having rollers A A A, upon which the metal to be sheared is fed. This met-al is delivered upon these rollers in a hot condition, and is fed to one side or the other of the partition H by means of the switch J, which is controlled by the operator,

so that the metal coming in on the rollers Rv can be directed to one side or the other of the dividing-partition II.

The shear-knives are mounted upon hydraulic cylinders, which travel upon 'fixed hydraulic pistons, as shown in detail-in Fig. 9. They are pressed upward by water-pressure, and are returned to their lower position by the weight of the cylinder. The movable shear-knives E E are alternately operated, while the fixed knives F F are mounted in the frame G', in which the rest of the parts of the shears are also fixed. Beyond the shear-knives are the rollers Sl S, which convey away the billet or'cut metal after it leaves the shears. Two automatic stops G G are provided, hinged in the frame and alternately raised, together with the hydraulic shears, to allow ot' the onward movement ot' the cu-t metal. The operating-cylinders are shown clearly in Figs. 6, and 7.

The steam-cylinder H is provided with a piston operating two plungers or rams J J, which force the water through tubes N, communicating with tubes D beneath the hydraulic cylinders. The steam is admitted al- 6o ternately to either side of the steam-cylinder by any suitable arrangement of valves which may be controlled by the lever T. The eX- haust-ports are not placed quite at the end of the cylinder, so that a steam-cushion is formed there in the space shown at I to prevent ythe piston striking' the cylinder-head.

The ,hydraulic pump cylinders are provided with peculiar check-valves K, which have a central longitudinal opening through 7o the stein, which stem slides Ain the casing M, thc said casing being provided with a small aperture or apertures L. The result ot this is that the wateronl y grad ually escapes downward to the hydraulic rams, passing only through apertures L; but on the return of the plunger J the check'valve rises, allowing the free flow ot the water. The same water is constantly used, and any leakage can be lled by an attendant through the cock V.

In order to prevent the lifting of the metal while being cut, a guard-bracket W is provided to hold down the outer end of the metal while shearing.

The operation of our apparatus can now be readily understood. The metal is switched to one or the other channels by the switch J when it is fed forward against the gage-stop G, which, its shear-knife being down, is in the path of its motion. As the shear E rises 9o and severs the metal, the gage-stop is removed from its path ot motion and the rollers S i' eed it forward to its destination. These rollers may be continuously operated or only operated when it is desired to remove the metal.

The important advantage of having two shears acting as indicated is that in this way the hot metal, which is constantly being forwarded in the operation ot steel-making, can loo be handled by one set of shears without delaying the previous mechanism, whereas it a single set olf shears were employed they might not be able to operate fast enough to dispose of the oncoming metal. By thc arrangement shown one set of shears is cutting the metal while the other is receiving the same, thus permitting of a practically constant movement of the severed metal. This result is of course accomplished by having two bars of metal, one being fed to each set of shears.

Vhat we regard as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A duplex billet-shear having two pairs of alternately-acting shear-knives, each operated by a single-actinghydraulic cylinder, in combination with a double acting" steam pumping apparatus connected at the ends ot the pump with said hydraulic cylinders, whereby each movement of the stealnpiston thereof causesa corresponding movement of the shearknives in opposite directions, one pair to close and the other to open, substantially as described.

2. ln combination with the knives of a billet-shear, a movable gage-stop, and mechanism for setting the same in the proper position to stop the inteeding movementof the piece being shear-ed from when the knives are open and automatically moving said stop away while said knives are closing to allow the free exit of the billet after it is severed, substantially as described.

3. ln combination with the knives of a billet-shear, the lower one of which is movable, a guard-braclet to prevent the lifting up of the billet as it is being cut otl, substantially as described.

l. In combination with a duplex billetshear, a feeding-table having the rollers c0nstantly revolving, and a switch tor switching the metal alternately to said shears on a constantly-revolving table, substantially as described.

5. The combination of duplex hydraulic billet-shears with a steam-cylinder operating two waterplun gers alternately, the said plungers alternately forcing the water-pressure to one or the other of the billet-shears,substantially as described.

(5. The combination, in billet-shears, of a steam-engine connected with a water plunger or piston, the cylinder ot said engine being extended beyond the exhaust-ports, thereby cushioning the piston, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with hydraulic shears and water-plunger, of a check-valve having a small opening therethrough, which permits the gradual passage of the water to. the shearcylinder and its ready return therefrom, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in duplex hydraulic shears, of a feeding-table having revolving rollers, two shears located at the ends thereof, each provided with an automatically-movable gage-stop, a partition over said table and separating the shears, and a switch by which the incoming metal is fed to either one ol said shears at the will of the operator, substantially as described.

CHARLES PETTIGREW. HORACE SMl'lll. FRANCS ll. 'lREA'l`- \\'itnesses:

EriztnAnt BANNING, SAMUEL E. HiB'nEN. 

